Birth Day Celebrations
by Casey Toh
Summary: A short piece depicting briefly what a birthday celebration would look like in Valinor.


Disclaimer: Everything and everyone except Minurŷn, Arauial, and characters you don't recognize belong to JRR Tolkien. No intentional copyright infringement is intended through their use.

Dedication: To Snicklepop, for her (belated) birthday. Sorry for the late work.

A/N: To Snicklepop and readers, I must apologize for the shortness and weirdness of this piece. My sincerest apologies.

**Birth Day Celebrations**

   Tirion in the land of Valinor was more crowded than most times at the end of each month as counted by the Elves, when the Vanyar, Noldor and the Teleri would come to gather. And the Vanyar and Noldor would invite the Valar from their abodes to join them in the feasts, as well as invite their kin who were lovers of the Sea.

   A large number of the Vanyar were the First who awoke at Cuiviénen and traveled to the Blessed Land. There, they had not felt the need to celebrate aught, but when the very first union of their race formed and the first Elfling was given birth in the Blessed Land, the cry was taken up for a celebration.

   As more unions were formed and more Elves born, it was thought too cumbersome to hold a feast everyday, and one was held at the end of each month for those born of that month.

***

   "Minurŷn, do not wander about! You shall knock into someone!" (1)

   "But mother…" The Elfling of eleven years whined.

   "Nay," Arauial said, "do not 'but' me. The Lord Manwë and Lady Varda shall be here soon." Her eyes looked up to see an Elf and an Elf-maiden walk into their midst, and with a smile, pointed them out to her child. "Look, the Valar graces our people."

   The Elves all bowed their heads to Manwë and Varda, who walked into their midst clothed in the confines of Elven flesh, smiling and greeting the Children of Ilúvatar. And in their train followed some of the other Powers: Tulkas; Oromë; Nienna; Yavanna; Lórien and Vairë (who came in her spouse's stead).

   "Mother, but are they not Elves as well?"

   And indeed the Valar looked Elven, being gay and fair in their voices and bodies when they should take up the confines of flesh, but the light in their eyes shone fierce and clear, and could not be mistaken for aught else but who they were.

   "No, Minurŷn, they are the Valar." Arauial raised her head to look. "See, our people brings the food out."

   And the Elfling saw indeed that the Vanyar set upon the tables food of many kinds: freshly cooked meat wrapped in leaves to keep their taste; the grown fruits that Yavanna had taught them to grow; fish that the Lord Ulmo had graced them with, soaked in Elven wine, though he did not join in their feast; and yellow corn from Yavanna's fields.

   "Come, Minurŷn." Arauial saw her spouse beckoning to them, and she led her child to his side, where others had gathered as well, those Elflings who had been born in that month.

   And Manwë called each of them forth, giving them gifts of the Valar. Of the older Elves, he gave the blessings of the Valar; of the younger ones, he gave little trinkets that they might play with to spend their time.

   But some Elflings dared not approach him, for the fierce light of the Valar shone still in his clear eyes, and Varda smiled and called them to her, placing a few on her spouse's legs and two on hers, so that they seemed like happy parents holding their children.

   The others could not hold their laughter, and Tulkas's voice boomed across the plain, causing Nienna to shake her head and frown playfully.

   And when Minurŷn returned to her parents' sides, she held up a bracelet of silver bells that sang with clear melodies when she shook them, and they heard the songs of birds join with the bells, as if the dawn came and the birds rejoiced and chased after its light.

   Arauial raised her head, and saw the gaze of Manwë and Varda, and she bowed slightly to them, seeing their smile. She then ran her hand through her daughter's hair, saying, "Come, you must prepare for the dance you have prepared for the Valar, Minurŷn Dawn-Chaser."

   "Dawn-Chaser, mother?" A small frowned graced the Elfling's features. "Am I named that?"

   "Aye, for the Lord and Lady have named you that."

   And the Elfling laughed and clapped her hands, holding the bracelet of silver bells, and danced in the plains for all.

~finis

(1) Minurŷn—comes from Minual (Dawn) + Rŷn (Chaser). It's in Sindarin, not Quenya, and I apologize profusely for it (I know that they speak Quenya in Valinor), since I'm only learning the former. 


End file.
